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  Thrang nodded and led Alex and Arconn out of the room. Outside the common room, Thrang stopped and turned to Alex.

  “Why did you not let me press him for an answer now?” Thrang questioned.

  “He is unsure, and pressure to answer quickly might cause him to say no,” said Alex. “There are several things he needs to think through besides the price. The members of his crew will have to agree to this voyage as well.”

  “He is the captain; the crew should go where he says,” said Thrang in a firm tone.

  “It’s not as simple as that,” said Arconn. “We know the people here believe the island is haunted and that they would prefer that no one travel there. Perhaps they fear some evil will be brought back from there.”

  “Yes, of course,” said Thrang. “I suppose there are stories of such things happening, and the people here would naturally be careful. They have a pleasant life, after all, and anything that might endanger that life would make them nervous.”

  “Exactly,” said Alex. “So we will wait and see what Master Clinker decides.”

  Thrang was still unhappy about waiting, but he agreed that Alex and Arconn were probably right. The next day passed slowly for them all, and Thrang spent most of it pacing back and forth in the common room. Alex and the others spent their time telling stories of previous adventures, all of which Thrain listened to with great interest. When it was finally time for their evening meal, Thrang was too anxious for an answer to eat. He picked at his food, continually glancing toward the doorway.

  “We will know soon enough,” Alex pointed out. “You might as well eat something. Starving yourself won’t help.”

  “I know,” said Thrang, setting his fork on the table. “They say that dwarfs are patient, but waiting has always been a burden to me.”

  As soon as Alex and Arconn finished eating, Thrang insisted they wait in the small meeting room. Alex thought he was being a bit silly, but he didn’t say anything. He didn’t think Bill Clinker would show up for some time yet. The captain would want to be careful to time his arrival so as to remain unnoticed.

  Alex was surprised, then, to find Bill already in the small room waiting for them. He looked tired and pale, as if he had not slept much since the day before. Alex could tell from the look in his eyes and the cool, determined expression on his face that Bill had made his decision.

  “If you agree to my terms, we can leave in the morning.” Bill spoke slowly, as if he had spent the day practicing the words.

  “Let me hear what your terms are,” said Thrang, moving to a chair.

  “First, neither I nor any of my men will set foot on the island,” said Bill. “We will provide you with a rowboat so you may leave the ship and travel to and from the island, but we will not go with you.”

  “That is agreeable,” said Thrang. “What else?”

  “For myself I will ask ten gold pieces for each day we are away from Dunnstal,” Bill continued. “That includes the days we wait at anchor for you to return from the island.”

  “Very well,” Thrang agreed.

  “I estimate that it will take three days to sail to the island and three to return,” Bill explained. “It may take longer if storms come up, but that is a chance you will have to take.”

  “Yes, of course,” said Thrang. “How long are you willing to wait for us at the island?”

  “We will not wait at the island,” said Bill. “We will sail a short distance away and anchor. We will return to Dunnstal after two weeks and one day—with or without you.”

  “Very well,” Thrang agreed grudgingly. “What else?”

  “For each of my men, I will ask one gold coin for each day we are away. Those are my terms. Do you accept?”

  “How many men do you have?” Arconn questioned.

  “There will be twelve, besides myself,” Bill answered.

  “That comes to four hundred and sixty-two gold coins, if everything goes well,” Arconn said, looking at Thrang.

  “Those are my terms,” Bill repeated.

  “Very well, we accept,” said Thrang.

  “Payment in advance,” Bill added quickly.

  “Half when we reach the island, and the other half when you pick us up,” said Thrang.

  “Half now, and the second half when we return to Dunnstal,” Bill countered.

  “Done,” said Thrang, holding out his hand for Bill to shake, sealing their bargain.

  Thrang took out his magic bag and counted out the gold. He handed Bill the two hundred and thirty-one gold coins, counting them slowly so Bill knew exactly what he was getting. With the payment made, Bill shook hands with all of them and gave them directions to his ship.

  “Be there an hour before sunrise,” he said. “With favorable winds, we can be well on our way by the time the sun is up.”

  “We’ll be there,” said Thrang.

  Bill left the room without another word.

  “Well, we have a ship,” said Thrang after a moment.

  “The price was higher than I thought,” Arconn said.

  “A small matter if we find what we are looking for on the island,” said Thrang.

  “We don’t know how large the island is. It may take more than fourteen days to search it,” Alex pointed out.

  “Kat’s gift for finding things should speed up our search,” said Thrang. “And we know that Albrek’s city was on the southern end of the island. We will start there.”

  “And if there is something there? Something worse than ghosts?” Alex asked.

  “That’s why we’ve got you with us,” said Thrang with a grunting laugh.

  Alex managed a weak smile. His thoughts returned to the wild, reckless feeling he had felt when facing danger on this adventure. A touch of fear entered his mind as he thought about what it might mean, but he didn’t say anything to his friends.

  That night Alex dreamed about the Isle of Bones, but it was not a normal dream. He was flying over the sea, desperate to reach the island for some reason he could not name. He knew that all his questions would be answered if only he could reach the island. But whenever he flew near the island, it vanished in front of him. When he finally woke, he felt exhausted, but sleep was the last thing he wanted. Instead, he lay awake on his bed, forcing his mind to relax and wondering what his dream might mean.

  ***

  When morning came, Thrang’s spirits were high and his happy mood rubbed off on them all. They ate a large breakfast at the tavern, and when they had finished, Thrang made arrangements with Ishly for their horses to remain stabled at the Sea Mist. Ishly agreed and said he would only charge them if and when they returned from their voyage. If they did not return, he would take the horses as payment.

  The eastern sky was beginning to change from black to dark blue when Alex and his friends boarded Bill Clinker’s ship, the Seeker. Alex thought the name was a good omen. The Seeker was not a large ship, but it was still larger than a regular fishing boat. Instead of cabins on board, there were only a couple of small rooms below deck that Alex and the others would have to share.

  “Could be worse,” Thrang said. “At least we’ll be out of the rain and the night air.”

  “I thought it did not rain this time of year,” Barnabus joked.

  “It’s not likely to, but at sea—who knows? If it does rain, at least we will stay dry,” said Thrang.

  Alex went back up on deck to watch the crew cast off. The work looked hard, but Bill’s crew seemed to know what they were doing. Soon the sails were out, and they were moving slowly away from Dunnstal. Alex watched the city grow small behind them, wondering what they would find on the Isle of Bones once they got there.

  The wind grew stronger as the sun came up, and Alex moved to the bow of the ship to see where they were going. He found that the rolling waves under the ship helped relax his mind. Unfortunately, when he returned to his room, he saw that this was not the case for most of his friends. Arconn seemed all right, but everyone else had become seasick almost as soon as they h
ad set sail. Thrain was the worst off, but none of the others looked very healthy.

  Alex reached for his magic bag to see if he had something that might help. He made a potion to help calm their seasickness, but unfortunately, it did not remove the sickness completely. Even worse, the potion tasted so bad that Alex’s friends thought they would rather be sick.

  “Not all potions can be sweet as honey,” Alex told them.

  “A drop of honey would help that mixture of yours,” Nellus said.

  “I suppose it would,” Alex agreed. “However, honey would make it completely useless, so there’s no point in using it.”

  The three days at sea were a great deal of fun for Alex, even though his friends remained sick and in their rooms below deck. Alex made a point of checking on his friends several times a day, and he always offered to make more of the seasickness potion, but no one ever took him up on his offer.

  Alex made friends with Bill’s crew and helped them do the work of sailing the ship. He learned a great deal in those three short days, and he won the respect of the men and their captain. Arconn also helped with sailing the ship, and he proved very good at running up and down the rope ladders to set sails and tie lines.

  On the afternoon of their third day at sea, the Isle of Bones appeared on the horizon. Thrang managed to come up on deck. He stood, looking silently for a long time at the island where they hoped to find some sign of Albrek. Finally he turned away, and with Arconn’s help, returned to his room.

  “Your friends do not take to the sea so well,” Bill said to Alex as they watched Thrang and Arconn descend below deck.

  “They are used to dry ground under their feet,” said Alex.

  “Yet you take to the sea and the work of sailing as if born to it,” Bill observed.

  “I’ve never sailed before, but I find that it feels natural,” said Alex.

  “Tell your friends that we will put you ashore in the morning,” said Bill, returning to his work. “We will anchor south of the island tonight—well away from the shore.”

  “There may be a harbor on the southern end of the island,” said Alex, remembering the old fisherman’s story. “It would be helpful if we could find it and start our search from there.”

  “We shall see,” said Bill as he walked away.

  Alex stood on the deck for a while longer, looking north to the Isle of Bones. He had a strange feeling about the island, as though something inside him was calling him toward the island. Or perhaps not calling him toward the island, but calling to him from the island. He thought about this for several minutes trying to decide which it was, but the feeling was gone.

  Turning away, Alex headed below deck. He knew the news that they would be going ashore in the morning would please his friends—especailly Thrang. Alex knew that Thrang was hoping to find dwarfs on the island, and while Alex thought that was unlikely, part of him hoped Thrang was right.

  “One more night on this rolling monster,” said Barnabus, looking pale and a little green in the lamplight.

  “You should come up on deck and get some fresh air,” said Alex, looking around at his friends.

  “The movement is too noticeable on deck,” Thrain complained. “At least here I can only feel it; I don’t have to see it as well.”

  “You’ll have a hard time getting into the rowboat tomorrow,” Arconn said with a laugh.

  “That trip will be a short one, with the promise of dry land at the end,” Nellus said.

  “And the promise of another sea voyage at the end of two weeks,” Alex pointed out.

  “Don’t mention that now,” said Kat sourly. “I’m not sure I’ll ever feel right again.”

  “Have none of your adventures included sailing?” Alex questioned.

  “Not until now,” Barnabus replied.

  “And not again if I can help it,” Kat added.

  Alex smiled and once again offered to make his seasickness potion. They all thanked him but refused, so he left them and returned to the open air of the deck. Arconn followed and the two of them stood together watching the sun sink in the west. Tomorrow they would reach the Isle of Bones and face whatever was waiting for them there.

  Chapter Twelve

  The Isle of Bones

  Morning came early so far north, and Alex and Arconn were already on deck helping prepare for their departure from the ship. Bill had guided the ship close to the southern coast of the island during the early morning hours, looking for the harbor Alex had mentioned.

  “Your friends are slow to emerge,” Bill said.

  “They still haven’t found their sea legs or tamed their stomachs,” Alex said.

  “They are lucky the weather was so fair,” said Bill with a smile. “If the weather had been rough or if we’d run into a storm, then they would know what sickness really is.”

  “Harbor—three points off the starboard bow,” a sailor called from the topmast.

  Bill’s eyes went to the point the sailor had called out. Soon even Alex could see what the lookout had spotted. A large stone pier appeared along the edge of the island, reaching out into the water. Bill corrected their course slightly and made for the far end of the pier. Bill expertly guided the ship into the harbor, and the crew quickly rolled up the sails as the ship grew still on the calm waters.

  “It seems that someone has sailed here at one time,” said Bill, studying the pier. “It would take a great amount of work to build this harbor, and I don’t imagine it was done quickly.”

  “It probably took several years,” said Alex. “The dwarfs were supposed to have been here for some time.”

  “You will find no living dwarfs here,” said Bill, a note of sadness in his voice. “If there were dwarfs on this island, we would know about it.”

  “That may be,” Alex answered. “But Thrang still has hope.”

  Alex moved forward to help the sailors lower the large rowboat that would take him and his friends to the shore. As they eased the boat into the water, Thrang appeared on deck with the rest of the company. They all looked happier than they had in days, and Alex knew they were looking forward to being on solid ground again.

  It didn’t take long for Alex and the others to climb over the side of the ship and into the rowboat. Alex thanked Bill and the sailors for all their help before waving good-bye. They all wished him and the others luck in their quest.

  “We will return to this spot in two weeks’ time,” Bill called. “We will wait for one day and then leave. Do not forget your days, or you may remain here for the rest of them.”

  “We’ll be waiting,” Thrang called back, gripping the side of the rowboat tightly.

  As Alex and his friends rowed away, the sailors on the Seeker quickly let out their sails. By the time the rowboat had reached the island, Bill had maneuvered the Seeker out of the harbor and was sailing away.

  Alex felt strangely alone as he looked across the sandy beach, trying to get a feel for the island and some idea of where the dwarfs might have mined. He could see several tall, rocky hills nearby, but little else. Dark green pine trees seemed to be growing everywhere on the island except on the beach, which was wide near the harbor.

  “It’s good to be on dry land,” Thrang said as they dragged the rowboat high up on the beach to prevent the tides from pulling it away. “No more rolling about on the water.”

  “Please,” said Kat. “No talk of rolling about.”

  Thrang was eager to start searching, but only Alex and Arconn felt well enough to do much exploring; the others were still weak from seasickness and hunger. Even Thrang, for all his desire, had to walk slowly and rest often.

  “We should be able to find some sign nearby,” Arconn said, his tone hopeful. “If the dwarfs built the harbor, they would have build something else close by as well.”

  “Perhaps Arconn and I should look around a bit,” Alex added. “The rest of you should take things slowly until you’ve recovered from our voyage.”

  “Yes, that might be best,” agree
d Thrang. “If you find anything or run into trouble, call out. We’ll come along as quickly as we can.”

  Alex and Arconn left the others and started off across the sand. The beach was wider than Alex had thought, and much steeper than it looked. It was difficult to walk in the dry, loose sand, and both he and Arconn had to stop to catch their breath once they reached the edge of the trees.

  “I would guess,” Arconn began, pausing to breath deeply. “I would guess we will find a path into the trees somewhere close.”

  “By now, the trees would have grown over any paths,” said Alex. “If Albrek’s people made a road of stone, we might be able to find that.”

  “Stone roads are slow work,” Arconn pointed out. “Though if they built the pier for the harbor, perhaps they built a road as well.”

  “I would think they’d need a stone road all the way to the sea,” said Alex. “It would be hard work carrying supplies across the open sand, and I would guess they had a lot of supplies and other things to carry.”

  “Which way, then?” Arconn questioned, looking at the trees in front of them.

  “Left?” Alex guessed. “There were some hills that way. Perhaps that’s where the dwarfs began their mining.”

  Arconn agreed, and the two of them walked along the edge of the trees. Alex thought about the dwarfs coming to the island looking for mines and hoping to become rich. According to the story from the archives of Benorg, some of those hopes had come true. But, then, why weren’t there any dwarfs here now? It seemed unlikely that the dwarfs, having found mines here, would suddenly decide to leave.

  “Here is something,” said Arconn, bringing Alex back from his thoughts.

  Arconn hurried forward and bent down to pick up something from the ground. Alex followed him, wondering what his friend had found. When Arconn stood up, he held something shiny in his hand. He looked at it for a moment and then held it out to Alex. Alex lifted the egg-shaped sapphire from Arconn’s hand, holding it up to catch the sunlight.

  “No dwarf would let that drop by accident,” Arconn said, his eyes fixed on Alex and not the gem.